Griffin Flint
by The Hogwarts Society
Summary: Griffin Flint's seventh year at Hogwarts is going to be perfect. Sure, he may sort of hate the world and the people living in it, but he has three great friends (well, maybe not great). He plays Quidditch, gets decent marks in class, is prefect, and above all in Slytherin. by Amara
1. Chapter 1

This is one in a series of books all taking place at the same time but from different POV's.

Disclaimer: Obviously not JKR.

* * *

India was dull. Mum dragged me from one family gathering to the next. Day in and day out.

And naturally the day we returned to England, we had to attend some society gala celebrating the appointment of some Ministry wizard.

And my best friend didn't even bother to show up.

Honestly, I was fed up with people. People just made life a lot harder. You had to talk to them, be nice to them or not be nice to them, see them, hear them. It was a lot more hassle than it was worth.

"Griffin, you need to socialize," Mum said sternly, in her almost British accent. She still held traces of her Indian origins, though it was more prominent after our vacation there.

I ignored her. "Hold on. What's going on over there?"

There was some sort of commotion with the Warringtons. I hadn't bothered greeting them. One: because I was boycotting people. Something that proved more fruitless every moment. No one seemed to notice when I glowered at them. Maybe my face just looked that way. Two: Conrad wasn't here, and I was infuriated.

Some Ministry bloke had approached the couple. As he spoke to them Mrs. Warrington's face paled and Mr. Warrington's hands clenched. Everyone was staring. Half of me thought they deserved it for not bringing my friend. Half of me sympathized. I would have hated it if I had been there in the center of attention.

"Where's Conrad?" she asked.

I shrugged.

The Warringtons left with the Ministry bloke. There was absolutely nothing interesting about the party except perhaps the existence of firewhisky. I could legally drink now. It was fucking fantastic even if Mum did frown as I downed a second glass.

That afternoon could not have passed any slower. Maybe if it was spent in the company of Binns...

I apparated to the cottage by the sea. The tall grass waved in the wind almost cheerily. It irritated me. Plus I had to deal with Lucas and Paule until Conrad showed up. His letters were worrisome, but he was my best friend. I couldn't judge him, nor could I tell.

"Hi, Griffin," Paule greeted, flipping her dark braid over her shoulder. Once she had corrected me, telling me it was a different style called a fishtail. In my opinion, it just looked stupid. What was wrong with a regular braid? I ask you.

"Hello." I grinned. At least I would be away from my crazy sisters for a week.

She turned to look over her shoulder. "Lucas! Griffin is here!"

I heard a muffled yell of assent. Not bothering to wait for him, I magicked my trunk into the room that was always mine. Then the sound of a voice that certainly wasn't Lucas Malfoy's caught my attention.

"Who's here?" It was a girl's voice. I didn't recognize it.

"Griffin," Lucas replied casually.

I returned to the hall to find Paule glowering at the wall. "Who is she?" I asked.

She continued to frown unpleasantly. In contrast to when she smiled the frowning actually made her face look.. better? Maybe just smiling looked strange on her. "Avery Nott."

"Who?"

"That girl in the year below us. She's friends with that Lynn Greengrass."

How could I forget Lynn Greengrass? She had been the longest girlfriend Conrad had ever kept. Of course when she found out he was cheating on her everything turned to shit, but he hadn't cheated for three months. A record. She must have put out well.

"She's on your quidditch team, idiot."

"Oh, yeah. The one with the plait."

She nodded. "That's the one, and she's here now apparently. No idea why."

"Conrad is going to be furious."

She groaned, running her fingers through the end of her braid. "I know. Hell is coming to the coast," she muttered, "and I'm not really sure if I want to be around for that..."

I nodded. "I know what you mean."

"Where is he anyway?"

"His parents aren't too pleased with him at the moment. He should be here soon though." I couldn't tell her the truth. I promised.

Sure enough the door swung open with a surprisingly jovial Conrad compared to the resentful letters I had been receiving for the past week. He had a large backpack under his arm as well as a trunk in the other hand. "Hope you all haven't been waiting long!"

Paule smiled, and said so only I could here, "Oh, yes. There will be hell to pay."

"Good to see you, mate," I greeted him, pulling him into one of those awkward one-armed "wizard" hugs. I didn't get them. They looked sort of stupid in my opinion. Less stupid than "witch" hugs though. Those were too bloody emotional. Well, it wasn't awkward when witches did it.

I realized in my hug thought I'd lost track of the conversation, but it didn't seem I had missed much. Conrad was still beaming. He didn't know yet.

Paule yelled over her shoulder, "Lucas, Conrad is here!"

"Okay! I'll be right out!" A moment later he appeared with that Nott girl just behind him. Her hair could use brushing; It was not in the characteristic plait of hers. The images that came to mind of what they had just been doing... I stopped thinking about it.

The storm was coming. Conrad's jaw tightened as he surveyed the scene before him. "Hello, Nott," he said with surprising control, although his voice wavered a little from strain. "Are you staying the whole week?"

Her cheeks flushed at the intensity with which Conrad gazed at her, but she held her ground well. There was no denying her intelligence after her next words. "Lucas invited me." Pinning the entire situation on Lucas. Very clever. I commended her.

"Oh, how thoughtful," Conrad said in a sickly sweet voice. It was worse than him yelling. "So you decided to bring a girl to shag on our retreat?" he demanded of Lucas, still not yelling. Maybe that run in with the muggle girl had taught him some control.

I thought Lucas would deny any such thing, but once again I was wrong. "Yes, I did," he said defiantly. "I can do what I want, Warrington." The use of surnames. Dangerous territory. I so did not want to be there. Paule slipped over next to me behind Conrad. She didn't want to get in the way of the rowing, but she smirked as Conrad shouted all the profanities and expletives he could think of at Lucas.

"How long do you think before it'll get to physical contact?" she speculated. "I bet you two more minutes. A galleon."

I shook my head and murmured back, "Nah. Lucas isn't stupid. If it got down to physical, Conrad will beat the shit out of him. He'll use magic if anything."

She nodded, agreeing. "More even footing, I suppose."

Exactly as she had predicted, the shouting had turned to blows. Lucas took a swing at Conrad who ducked deftly and rammed straight through him, knocking them both to the ground. Paule raised her eyebrows at me. "Then, again, Lucas can be quite stupid on occasion," I added. "We should probably stop them."

I took a step forward, but Paule's arm caught me. "Hold on one second. Lucas should be taught a lesson." She held me back for about a minute. Blood streamed from Lucas' face. Conrad had broken the other wizard's nose. "Okay. Now's a good time."

She rushed forward with her short skirt swishing. I followed her. She took out her wand, and with a resounding bang the two boys fell apart. Nott was pressed up against a wall, staying out of the way, but she hadn't seen any need to intervene. None of us had. We were all true Slytherins.

"Let's talk about this like rational people," Paule said. "It's not like he brought a mudblood into the house."

Conrad nodded, wiping a streak of blood off his face, though he didn't appear injured in any way. It probably belonged to Lucas, who was still doubled over. He gasped, "Come on, mate. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Conrad demanded. His hand twitched dangerously near the pocket where he kept his wand. "This is a tradition. The next thing we know you could be with a muggle." He spat on the ground.

Paule rolled her eyes. "Was that necessary? It's kind of disgusting." She turned her head away pointedly from the small puddle of spit on the hardwood floor.

Conrad ignored her, but turned when the other girl spoke. "I didn't know. I swear. He just told me I could come."

"To hell you didn't know. Of course you knew. As if you haven't heard of our retreats. As if you weren't jealous and wanted to feel exclusive."

"I can leave," she continued.

Conrad glared around. "Yes, you can."

Nott turned to go pack her things, but Lucas grabbed her shoulder. She cringed at his bloodied hand on her (probably) designer blouse. "No. You don't have to leave."

Conrad's hands clenched and unclenched, reminding me of his father the day of the gala. "Yes, she does."

Nott looked back and forth between them uncertain of her next move. She glanced at me for support, and I mentally berated myself for forgetting who she was. She played chaser even. The same position as me. Merlin, I was stupid. I shrugged, feeling slightly sorry that I could offer her no help, but there was no way I was coming between Conrad and Lucas. Avery Nott was not worth me losing my neck.

"Why don't we compromise?" Paule suggested. Both their head whipped toward her and the dark-haired boy as well as the fair-haired one glared at her. Neither was willing to give in. "Well, if we don't I say all three of you leave because this is not how our retreats are supposed to work. Griffin and I will have a lovely time without the rest of you ruining it."

Conrad's expression hardened, but I knew he would rather have the girl in the house than have to leave himself. Lucas, in turn, appeared triumphant. He had come to the same conclusion as I had.

"No. No," Nott insisted. "I can leave."

Conrad's jaw twitchd, but he managed to smile, though it resembled a grimace. "It's alright. You can stay. Lucas can keep his shag buddy," he spat the last part at Lucas before storming off to his room.

Paule sighed, rolling her eyes. "You were a great help," she said to me. She then turned to Lucas, "And you, what the fuck were you thinking bringing her along?"

As she berated him in a much less violent manner, I spoke to Nott. "Sorry about all this. Obviously not your fault."

She gave me a watery smile. "Yeah, well, Warrington is sort of right though. It was nice to feel special, but he honestly invited me. I had no idea that the rest of you didn't know. I expect Warrington will be bringing along his own girl soon enough."

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if he did," I replied, before walking outside.

"I can't believe you have to leave tonight," Conrad said resentfully, swinging his legs off the edge of the ledge overlooking the shore.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, mate, but Mum would kill me if I didn't go."

He nodded. "Yeah, same with the Lucases next week, but I'll try to get out as much as possible. Merlin, I can't stand Abigail. She's just so- She's just so...muggle," he decided on.

"We can always do the bonfire tomorrow night," I said.

"Nott had better stay in Malfoy's room for it. Better yet they both stay in his room," he grumbled darkly.

I pressed my palms into the hard rock. "Sorry, mate. He really had no right to bring her. This is a tradition after all."

His face lit up. He'd had an idea. "You should bring someone, someone to spite him."

"Why don't you?" I countered. I didn't want to go bringing slags to our tradition. I didn't want to deal with one either, and there were still four more days of us together that I would have to deal with whoever the bird was.

He sighed. "I would, but after that, er, muggle girl stuff, I really can't risk it."

He reminded me of that strange sensation I had felt in the pit of my stomach when I'd read his first letter about it. Now I realized for once what my best friend was capable of, what he would do to protect himself and the purebloods. I, for one, wasn't sure about what he was prepared to do. It didn't sit right, and for the first time, I felt nervous around my friend, not because of some secret or anything, but because he was dangerous. Something I never really registered before now.

"I get it, mate," I replied, lying through my teeth.

"You could bring that Harper girl. She's a good shag, or the Gold girl." Then he grinned. "Better yet one of the Woods. That would really get on Malfoy's nerves."

I laughed. "As if I would do anything with either of them."

"Well, Malfoy needn't know you didn't do anything."

"They wouldn't agree anyway."

He shrugged. "Think about it." His eyes were alight with a manic gleam, but perhaps he would wait because as everyone knows revenge is a dish best served cold.

Dinner at the Woods' was no exciting affair. I was twenty minutes late because I got caught in another Lucas and Conrad stare down.

As I took the only remaining seat next to Maya, she ignored me, and Mari made a gagging gesture. It was nice to know how desirable I was. At least I was pretty sure the one with the pink streaks was Mari, and after all they seemed to be wearing their house colors. Not that it really mattered which was which. I didn't plan on speaking to either one of them, at least not politely.

"Griffin received three O's," Mum said, after Maya had blurted out her perfect Ravenclaw scores. I nodded, but continued to eat silently. Maya relaxed slightly. At her mother's previous comment about her grades, she'd tensed as if ready for a fight. It didn't make any sense for a mother to want her daughter to be more stupid.

Well, the Woods were crazy. At least Carrie Wood was. Maya was smart. Mari was hostile. Everything was as it should be, and Trent Wood did nothing to upset his wife. After the three course meal, Mrs. Wood escorted us to their parlor for tea.

I took the seat next to Brie, who was chattering away to Maya about some Ravenclaw prank the previous year just before the seventh years left the walls of the castle for the last time. Maya seemed just as engaged, but Mari continued to glare at the wall. It was quite amusing really. The Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry had never really bothered me before. I stayed away from them, and for the most part they stayed away from me. Really the only time we had contact was in class or if Conrad or Lucas decided it was time to get them back for one thing or another.

As I sat there silently observing the proceedings, I thought of what Conrad or Lucas would do in this situation. Conrad would probably jeer or else try to get into one of their pants, and Lucas would probably do the same. They were more alike than either of them wanted to admit.

"It's been such a pleasure having all of you over," Mrs. Wood gushed, hugging my mum tightly. "I hope to have you over again soon."

Mum smiled back. "Oh, but next time we won't be intruding into your home. You must dine with us."

"Oh, we will." Her eyes had lit up at the prospect of being invited to our mansion of a house. The social ladder climbing woman sort of disgusted me, and surprisingly enough, I could tell Maya felt the same way.

I bid the twins goodbye, thoroughly annoying the pair of them. Smirking, I followed Mum and the rest out the door. After being put through a long telling off from both my parents, I departed for the house on the coast. Will hadn't shown up at all, but he got off because he was actually working.

"Where have you been?" Avery wanted to know when I returned. None of the others were in sight. I wondered where they'd gotten to.

"Family dinner."

She raised her eyebrows. "Isn't that breaking tradition?"

I shrugged. "Less so than you. No offense," I added.

She nodded, understanding. "I thought you might bring someone back since it seemed the plan between you and Warrington."

"Too much hassle," I replied, wishing I could find the others.

"Maya and Mari not good enough for you?"

I leaned against the wall casually. "Well, there's a mutual hatred there."

She nodded again. "They don't like me much either." She appeared to be picking at her nails, an unattractive habit.

Three figures emerged from the hallway. "You're back!" Conrad exclaimed.

"Come on, Avery. Don't monopolize Griffin's company," Lucas said, pulling her away with him. More like he wanted to monopolize hers. Not that I cared much. Avery wasn't my type. I wasn't quite sure what my type was though.

"Oh come on, Griffin. You can get over a girl like that," Paule teased, slipping her arm through mine.

"We can still do the bonfire," I suggested.

Conrad grinned. "Yeah. That would be brill."

"Lucas!" Paule called after him in a sing-song voice. "Before you go off to shag your girlfriend again, we're doing the bonfire."

At this Conrad's expression darkened. "She can't come."

Lucas didn't debate this. After asking Avery to stay inside and entertain herself, he followed us out. Apparently there were some traditions he wouldn't destroy.

We shared stories of the summer by the fire. I looked across the flames at Conrad, giving him a meaningful look, but he ignored me. He wasn't going to tell his story.

"And then the first bloke gets up again and punches his friend because he's so drunk," Lucas continued laughing and taking another swig of ale, "and the whole place was brawling in two minutes."

"So that's how the Leaky Caldron brawl happened," Paule mused, holding her own bottle close to her chest. "I didn't know you were there."

He tipped an invisible hat to her. "There are many mysterious things about me, Miss Rosier."

She made a face at him. "Alright. My turn. Got your eye on any girls, Griff?" she gave me a knowing look, but I had no idea what her point was.

I shook my head. "Nope. They all look the same to me." She huffed indignantly. "Except of course you who shines brighter than the sun in the middle of summer."

She smiled. "Go on. Tell me more about myself."

"Sod off," I replied.

She hit me. "That's no way to talk to a lady."

"You're no lady, Paule," Lucas said. "Not even a virgin."

She rolled her eyes. "As if any of you are."

The rest of the night went on much like that. I sort of felt bad for Avery. Lucas had forgotten all about her.

"I'm going to die."

"Stop being so dramatic."

"I'm going to die."

"Honestly."

"I'm going to die."

"She's just a girl, not the plague."

"I'm going to die, Griffin. I know it," Conrad groaned.

"It's just for a week. Apparate to my house when you can. You can make fun of my parents."

He gave me a confused look. "Why would I want to do that?"

I shrugged. "They're pretty weird." I supposed they weren't to Conrad though. Dad was just like him. Brie told me about how he almost refused to go into the Woods' house for dinner.

"Well, I guess I can always see how it goes with Tara. She's pretty fit," he said absentmindedly.

I punched him, not too hard. "That's my sister you're talking about, you git."

"I was kidding." I wasn't sure if he had been.

"What's going on boys?" A lilting Southern drawl approached us. It was Paule.

Conrad gave her a scathing look. "Do you want to sound like an idiot?"

She rolled her eyes, reverting back to her normal accent. "I'm practicing."

"For what?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Life."

"And how in the hell is learning to speak like some American idiot going to help you in life?"

She merely shrugged again, taking a seat on the arm of my chair. "Who knows what life will bring? Maybe someday I'll have to pretend to be an idiot."

"You wouldn't need to pretend," Conrad muttered.

She glared at him. "This is why Griffin's my favorite." She ran a hand over my shoulder. "He's nice."

"Oh, that's only because he wants to get into your robes." As if.

"You know nothing about anything, Conrad Warrington," and with that statement she stalked off, nearly tripping in those ridiculously high shoes of hers.

"I hope you're packed!" he called after her. "You have to get out today!"

"I'll leave whenever the hell I want!" she yelled back, slamming the door behind her. From the living room we could hear her trying to smother her giggles.

"You guys are so weird," I commented.

Conrad sighed. "She's weird, Griffin. She's the weird one."

I didn't feel like mustering the energy to contradict him.

My trunk was all packed except for the clothes I planned on wearing the next day on the train. I expected nothing exciting to happen. Merlin was I wrong because at 8:30 someone rang our doorbell. I leaned back into my bed, resigned for a boring night. The doorbell rang again.

"Griffin, you're so lazy. You're the one closest to the door," Tara hissed, as she walked past my open bedroom door. I ignored her. The doorbell rang again before she opened it, and I heard her faint, "Bloody hell. Learn some damn patience." I considered telling her off for her language, but it wasn't like I was any better. Maybe a little.

She spoke to whoever it was at the door for a few seconds, but I'd passed caring who it was.

"Griffin, get your sodding arse over here! Your friend would like to speak with you!" she screeched. Good thing Mum was working overtime tonight and Dad was out gambling. They would have murdered her otherwise for "disturbing the peace." Apparently there's a law about it.

I groaned and stood, brushing my muggle jeans. "Who is it?"

"Conrad Bloody Warrington," she replied. "He thinks he's fucking fantastic."

"Wash your mouth," I said, swatting at her, but her Quidditch training helped her dodge out of the way. She stuck her tongue out at me childishly, but surprisingly didn't leave.

"Hey, mate. There's this party down at some sixth year's house. Davies or something. I need to get sloshed." He certainly looked it. His dark hair stuck up in strange places and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like a madman.

Tara grabbed my right arm, her long nails digging into my skin. "Can I come?" she asked, though it came out more like a demand.

"What? Of course not," I said. "I can't be bringing my sister to a party." She pouted. "You need to stay home with Brie."

A younger girl's voice echoed down the hallway, "I'm thirteen years old! I can stay home alone!"

Tara grinned. "It's settled."

"No," I said firmly. "Conrad and I are going to the party now without you." She began to protest, but I continued over her voice, "But if someone were to say sneak out of the house without her brother's permission, I wouldn't know anything about it."

She smiled wickedly before dashing off.

"She'd have to find her own way there!" I yelled after her.

"I have my ways, Griffin!" I didn't want to know.

I threw my arm around Conrad's shoulders, and we turned on the spot disappearing from sight. We appeared in front of a house in a muggle neighborhood. It wasn't a particularly interesting house. It looked just like the others next to it, insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Well, any individual thing was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps the Hogwarts founders weren't, but pretty much anyone or anything else was. Though who's to say that another group of wizards wouldn't have built their own school of magic around the same time if Hogwarts hadn't already existed.

I really needed to find something better to do with my time.

"What are you doing here?" someone said distastefully. Said someone had long straight brown hair with weird pink streaks in them and really needed to cover up a bit more.

I was about to reply with something witty when Conrad pushed her out of the way in search of the beer. Not that I really had anything witty to say.

"Griffin!" It was Paule. "I didn't know you guys were coming!"

I smiled. "I didn't either until about twenty minutes ago. That bastard showed up on my doorstep and said he wanted to get drunk." I nodded to where Conrad was filling a glass.

She nodded. "Yeah, I heard about it from Rebecca. She's such a gossip."

I rolled my eyes. "You are such a hypocrite."

"Am not!" she protested. "Anyway, don't you want to get drunk?"  
"I need to be able to apparate," I reasoned.

"One drink won't kill you, loser." She dragged me to where Conrad was drinking who knew how much firewhisky and shoved a cup into my hands. "Drink it."

I accepted it and downed it quickly. "As if I wouldn't drink."

"Ooh, bad ass are we?"

"I'd be careful if I were you. Who knows? My hand just might slip and spray this bottle at you."

She jumped back and glared. "Fine. I'll go find someone more interesting to talk to."

I turned back to Conrad, but once having ascertained that he would be in no shape to converse with, I moved on to hopefully find Lucas. "Hey, Griffin," a sultry voice came from behind me, as a hand was placed on my shoulder. I turned around to find Rebecca Gold, smiling at me.

"Hi, Gold."

She wobbled a bit, using my shoulder to steady herself. "We're not friendly enough to go by first names?" she pouted.

Out of the crowd appeared her best friend. In contrast to Rebecca, Leanna Harper was fair but not pale and had straight blond hair. There were no streaks of color; That was for lesser beings. "Oh, hi, guys." She grinned. She looked buzzed, but definitely not so much as Rebecca who was gripping me rather tightly now. "I thought you were looking for that Gryffindor keeper," she addressed her friend.

"I was," she slurred, "but Griffin will do."

I looked at them confused. "Will do for what?"

Leanna sighed. "Rebecca is a slag."

"Am not!" she protested feebly.

Seeing that I was still confused, Leanna added, "She wants to shag someone, and now she's decided that will be you."

"Um," I said hesitantly. It wasn't that I was inexperienced. I just wasn't used to girls throwing themselves at me. It had happened before, but it didn't make me feel any less uncomfortable.

"Becca, honey," Leanna addressed her friend, "he doesn't want to shag you. Go find the Gryffindor again. He was pretty willing."

Rebecca sighed, "You're going to regret that, Griffin Flint. I'm an amazing shag."

Leanna rolled her eyes and pushed her friend away. "She's not that bad really."

I grinned. "I know. This is the second time she's come up to me piss drunk."

Leanna laughed, throwing back her head slightly. The light glinted off her hair. It looked almost as if it were glowing. "I know. She's weird when she's drunk."

"Conrad's not much better." I nodded to where he was slumped against the wall, humming to himself. He looked like his best friend just died, which I knew didn't happen. I was standing right here, being alive.

"Well, you've got to make allowances for your friends," she said. "Do you want to get out of here?" she asked, referring to the melee of people crushing us from all sides.

"Definitely." I followed her into a smaller room that looked like a dining room. There were fewer people here. A couple in the corner that I really didn't want to look at.

"How was your summer?" she asked. "I heard there was an incident at the retreat."

I nodded. "Yeah, Lucas brought Avery Nott, and Conrad was, well, Conrad."

She nodded. "Of course."

I sighed. "I really shouldn't have had that drink. I'm already feeling a bit buzzed, and I should apparate home soon."

"Just stay a little longer," she pleaded, her hands creeping up my chest. "I'll make it worth your while." She was drunk, no doubt about it. She gave me big puppy dog eyes, so I decided to give in.

"Okay," I said. "I think the Davies' have rooms upstairs." She laughed and pulled me up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hi, all. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Disclaimer: I'm not JKR as much as I wish it to be so.

* * *

The Hogwarts Express steamed, billowing puffs of smoke across the crowded platform. It just made it harder for me to see.

"I can't believe you stayed at that party so long," Tara said in a lofty voice. Despite liberal amounts of Hangover Potion this morning, my head still pounded. "It was kinda lame."

I arched my eyebrows. "How come all your friends went?"

She just glared at me. "Fine, but you'd better not get on my bad side, or I'll tell Mum where you were."

"And I can tell her where you were as well."

"Or I could tell her where you both were and not have to look at either of your faces or listen to your bickering for a whole year," Brie suggested enthusiastically, grinning up at us.

I ruffled her hair. "Oh, Brie, you wouldn't do that to your favorite brother."

"Or your favorite sister," Tara added, trying to put an arm around her.

"You're my only sister," Brie remarked.

Somehow Mum managed to disentangle herself from yet another family. Thank Merlin we arrived two hours early. If we hadn't, there was a high chance none of the Flints would have made it onto the Hogwarts Express what with all the delays to talk to Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so and "Oh, how lovely their children are." "Don't you know them? They go to your school after all."

Boycotting people hadn't worked out as well as I'd planned.

The hustle and bustle of the busy station, what with the constant squawking and chatter may have been pleasant for some. It just irritated me. Peace and quiet. Those were the only good things in life. And, well.. others... The company of other people did not amount to much.

"I'm going to miss you three. No children in the house." She sighed.

"Mum, you've been complaining all summer about how bothersome we are," Brie pointed out.

She shrugged. "Yes, that's true." She then proceeded to hug each of us in turn. "Be good," she told Brie. "Play nice with the other girls," were her words for Tara.

Mum reached me, and even though she knew I hated it, hugged me tightly. The wise words she had chosen for me were whispered, so an eavesdropping Tara couldn't hear. "Be careful. Think about who your friends are and who you want to be."

"Thanks, Mum." I had no idea what that meant. A small part of me felt uneasy.

Paule spotted me and pushed two second years out of her way. "Griff!"

I rolled my eyes. That nickname was stupid. "Hello."

She flung an arm around me casually. "Find a compartment?"

I shrugged. "Sure, but I have to go to the prefects meeting soon."

She made a face. "You're so responsible, and you have to hang out with Phoebe. Bye, Mrs. Flint," she added before whisking me away. "Have you seen Conrad?"

I shook my head.

"I saw Lucas. He was breaking up with Nott. I guess she didn't realize she was nothing more than something fun for him over the holiday."

"Huh. I thought she was smarter."

She shrugged. "No idea. She didn't seem too attached to him before."

"Oi, Flint!" I turned to see Head Boy Jeremy Cook talking to Maya. "Don't forget about the meeting!"

"I haven't," I replied coldly.

"Well, you're heading the wrong direction. The front of the train is the other way, mate." Maya laughed softly.

"Thanks." I turned away.

Someone clapped me on the back. "So you're mates with Cook now?" It was Conrad.

"Eff off. Of course not."

"Jeez, Conrad. Don't make fun of him. He's in love," Paule said while climbing onto the train. "I'm offended that you think Cook is more attractive than me," she added.

"Oh, shut up," I muttered.

"Oi! A little help here," Conrad complained, gesturing to his luggage.

Paule rolled her eyes and made some comment about magic and how idiotic Conrad was. After that I trudged off to the prefects compartment.

"Nice of you to join us," Cook commented, when I walked in. I wasn't the last one there. The Head Girl, Katrina August, wasn't even there yet.

Cook droned on about the honor of being a prefect and the importance of our role at the school. At least he had passion. He continued on to what the different jobs were and when we would do them. At some point August slipped in quietly. He finally finished by telling us when we were supposed to walk around the train. Honestly who cared?

"Got all that, Flint?" Cook asked, clapping me on the back.

"You really think I didn't get it the first time?"

He grinned. Merlin, he was annoying. Friendly people were the worst sort.

"There you are, love," Paule greeted me, draping an arm over my shoulder. All the fifth years had dashed off to go fulfill their duties, and the sixth years were trickling out with slightly less enthusiasm. Most of the seventh years didn't care. Adelaide Lupin was practically throwing herself at Cook. Not sure why. He wasn't in any relationship that I knew of, and she had a thing for guys in relationships, some sort of creepy fetish.

"Thank Merlin that's over," I said.

"That bad, huh?" Paule asked sympathetically.

I sighed. "He just kept talking and talking. It'll be a miracle if I live to the end of the year."

Conrad clapped me on the back. "Don't worry. We'll hex him for you, if you like."

I laughed. "Thanks, mate, but it's fine. I'll just have to muscle through."

None of them seemed to have heard me though. They all turned with greedy eyes upon a figure with dark brown hair carrying a book like she was some mouse they were going to rip apart and feast on.

"How was staying at the muggles'?" Lucas asked.

"Don't get me started," Conrad groaned. "They're bloody mad. All of them."

We didn't need to get into this sort of scuffle especially not near a bunch of prefects. "Well, you don't have to deal with them anymore. Let's just go back to the compartment."

But he didn't seem to hear me because he was still gazing at Abigail hungrily. "Anyone fancy a quick detour?"

"I'm in," Lucas replied almost before Conrad has finished his sentence. "It's not like there's anything better to do."

Paule groaned from boredom. "Just make sure none of the prefects see you." We ended up following her until we reached a deserted strip of compartments which was strange because usually it was hard to find a free one.

Nothing was different about this time except that Abigail didn't bruise immediately. Conrad and Lucas spooked when they thought they heard someone coming, which I may or may not have fabricated. Paule brushed her skirt off as if merely placing the entrapping charm on a halfblood had dirtied her.

"Did you hear about what happened to McDonald over the summer?" Paule asked. "Lucas said he was arrested."

I stopped listening. I was too busy trying to rub the sweat off of my hands, and I had no idea who the hell McDonald was.

We returned to our compartment to find it commandeered by several other Slytherin 7th years, including Leanna Harper and Rebecca Gold.

"Hi, Griffin," Leanna greeted me, smiling.

"Hi, Griffin," Rebecca copied her friend. "Sorry about last night. I didn't mean to throw myself at you."

I shrugged. "No problem."

"Did you hear that Rachel Prince and Farley Corner are dating?" Gold asked me.

"Really? Weird."

"He is kinda a slimeball," she remarked, picking at her gold-painted nails.

"And she could do better," Leanna said.

"At least he's rich," I replied.

Leanna nodded. "Definitely a good thing."

"Why are you acting all deep and mysterious?" Rebecca suddenly asked.

"Oh, sweetie," Paule said from her seat on the other side of the compartment, "Griffin's always like that. It's not an act."

Rebecca raised her eyebrows. "Huh. It's creepy."

"Well, thanks, everyone."

So the rest of the train ride became the "Let's make fun of Griffin every half hour" show. It was rather tiring.

"Finally," Lucas moaned. "The train ride is always so tedious. Why can't we just floo back to school?"

"Because they like to torture you in particular, Lucas," Paule said, staring at her trunk as if it might come down of its own accord.

I reached up and pulled it down for her. She beamed. "Thanks." Then, I was roped into taking down trunks for the rest of the girls too, though Rebecca and Leanna conveniently forgot to thank me.

Throughout the feast Paule and Rebecca discussed the latest gossip. Who hooked up with who over the summer. "Oh my god! No way!" And who threw the best summer party. "His was awesome, but the one last night was wild." And who would be the cutest date for me. "Look at her hair!" So all in all, the most fun I'd had... ever.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying it! Reviews are awesome!

Disclaimer: Not J. K. Rowling. :(

* * *

I woke up late. It was no surprise. Alarms never worked for me, and Conrad was no use. I made it to breakfast at 8:10, just ten minutes before the bell for first period would ring. I lathered some jam onto a piece of toast, and waited for Professor Vanity to hand me my schedule. I already knew my courses would be the same as last year. I took all the main courses, excepting History of Magic and Astronomy, and Arithmancy. I'd only taken Arithmancy in my third year because I still wanted to be just like my older brother and work at Gringotts. I knew better now.

"Mr. Flint," Professor Vanity stared down her thin nose at me. "Nearly missed breakfast I see."

"Ah, but I'm here on time, Professor, and that's what counts isn't it?"

"Punctuality is key, Flint, especially if you're still interested in passing your NEWT's and working at the Ministry of Magic." She performed a spell on a piece of previously blank parchment and handed my schedule to me.

"Of course, Professor."

"Well, there will be two further counseling sessions in which we will discuss your career options. Mind you get to your class on time." She strutted off to help some bewildered first year.

I glanced down at my schedule to find Herbology as my first period. I scanned the Slytherin Hall, but couldn't find Lucas or Conrad. However, Paule waved me over. "Oi, Flint! What do you have first?"

"Herbology."

"Me too. Let's go now before the bell rings and they all rush out. I think we have about a minute." She slipped an arm through mine and pulled me after her, slinging her bag over her shoulder on the way.

Sure enough just as we entered the Entrance Hall a loud bell rang from the bell tower and a surge of students poured from the Great Hall.

"Well, we have ten minutes to make a five minute walk," she said. "Whatever shall we do?"

"Just go to class?" I suggested.

She rolled her eyes. "Griffin, you have absolutely no imagination. Why don't we follow Lupin over there. You know, I heard she threw herself at that sixth year Davies while he had a girlfriend."

"Really? I thought she had more self-respect."

"A slut like her, how can she?" Lupin glanced around, but she didn't blush. She actually smirked and flipped her hair. "Slut," Paule repeated.

The rest of the week passed in a blur of boredom. The teachers were the same, strict and boring. The classes only increased in difficulty and dreariness. I wondered what good school was for.

As I walked alone to the common room the following Tuesday afternoon, a rather high pitched voice sounded behind me, "Griffin! Griffin!" Then a monkey jumped on my back. The monkey was my youngest sister.

"What's up?"

"Guess what!" She climbed off my back and bounced on the balls of her feet expectantly.

I shrugged. "I haven't a clue."

She frowned. "Bad guess."

"You got full marks in Transfiguration?" It was her worst subject.

She stuck out her tongue childishly. "For your information, I did, but that's not it."

"I still have no idea then."

"I'm on the Ravenclaw quidditch team!" she squealed, bouncing even more energetically.

I hadn't known she was trying out. "That's great." I smiled.

"Are you going to hug me?" she asked. "Because Tara wouldn't in front of her friends."

"Of course." I didn't like hugs. I wasn't a hugging person, but I squeezed her tightly anyway.

"You're the best." She beamed. "I've already written to Mum and Dad, but I still need to send a letter to Will."

I ruffled her hair, but she dodged away quickly before I could continue. "You still have classes to focus on. Mum will go ballistic if you get any bad marks."

"Blah. Blah. I know. I know. I'll be fine, but quidditch!" she exclaimed. "I'm just like you guys."

"What position?"

"Beater."

"How in the bloody hell did you manage that?" She was tiny, though bubbly and energetic.

She put her hands on her hips. "You'd better watch it. I can raise a lump the size of Canada on your head when we play you."

"Do you even know where Canada is much less how large it is?"

"Grandmum told me it's a far off land that doesn't exist."

I sighed. My crazy grandmother. She was literally crazy. I wondered if maybe Brie didn't know that. "And Grandmum knows best."

"She does." Apparently she hadn't caught my sarcasm.

"Where are you off to anyway? Shouldn't you have class soon?"

She grinned shiftily. "I'm going there. You distracted me. That's what I'll tell Professor Vanity when she asks."

I sighed. "Run along now." She skipped off ahead of me. I turned to the wall on my right and said the password. Good thing she'd caught me then and not a couple seconds later. I shuddered to think what would happen if anyone thought I was letting my Ravenclaw sister into the common room. Even Tara would ostracize me. Actually she would be the worst.

"Where have you been? You said you were coming ages ago," Conrad said from his favorite armchair.

I shrugged. "Got held up."

"I was just talking to Paule about what that Eddie Harper said yesterday," he told me, gesturing for me to take the other seat next to him.

"Which is?"

"You don't know?" Paule gaped at me. "He said that Blackwell was kissing some sixth year Hufflepuff."

"David Lumier," Conrad supplied. "Where's Lucas by the way?"

"No idea. He mentioned some girl."

Conrad rolled his eyes and muttered, "Of course."

"Anyway, what are we going to do about it?" Paule asked.

"Well, is it true?" I asked.

"Griffin's got a point. We all know how sketchy Harper is," Conrad said, glancing around the room for Harper, not that he would've really cared if anyone heard him.

Paule nodded and continued, "I asked Phoebe because she's friends with Blackwell, and she said that Blackwell had sneaked out the night before while the rest of us were asleep."

"And you didn't notice?" Conrad asked. "I thought you were the Queen of deception and nothing goes unnoticed within your dormitory?"

"Oh, shut up," she said. "I'm assuming it must be true. She's strange that one. She never has anything nice to say to us."

"Maybe it's because you're a total bitch to her," Conrad said, smirking.

Paule rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that's a factor, but I was only a bitch because she was first."

"So what are we going to do?" Conrad asked. He looked to me for a suggestion.

I shifted in my seat. "Well, we could tell everyone."

"Harper's already done that," Conrad said.

"Well, I don't know. You know, I'm not creative."

"Can we write 'Justice Blackwell is a Hufflepuff whore' across the wall of the Entrance Hall?" Paule asked eagerly.

"I love it," Conrad said. "Tonight, then?"

I nodded, and Paule clapped her hands in excitement.

Conrad held our quidditch tryouts the following Saturday. They were alright. The majority of the people who showed up could barely fly a broomstick let alone play quidditch. Finally we decided on some fourth year, or maybe she was a fifth year. I wasn't sure. She was a squealer. It was obnoxious. Hopefully I wouldn't have to talk to her.

Sunday night Conrad stormed into the dormitory, looking murderous. I glanced up at him from my Potions book. "That bitch!" he thundered.

"Who?" I scratched out a few more lines of my essay.

"Who the hell do you think?"

"No idea." I kept writing, checking a fact in the book for a second.

"Blackwell! And that muggle, Vanity!"

I sighed. It didn't seem like I would be able to finish my essay as quickly as I'd hoped. "Vanity isn't a muggle."

"She might as well be," he said savagely. I thought he might start throwing pillows soon.

I shrugged. "Maybe you should calm down a bit."

"Fuck off."

I shrugged again and returned to my essay.

He continued to rant at the top of his lungs. "She had the audacity...told her we did it...believed her...My family is decades older...ought to hex her til she's screaming for mercy. Both of them." The last sentence worried me.

I resigned myself to the fact that my Potions essay would have to wait. I closed the book and set aside the parchment. "Conrad, mate, we need to talk."

He paused, looking slightly taken aback. "About what?"

"This." I gestured at him equivocally.

"What?"

"You need to- I mean, you're getting a bit out of control."

He let out a maniacal laugh. "Me? Out of control? I know exactly what I'm doing."

"Exactly." If anything, that laugh just proved my point.

"You're mad."

"I'm not. This is too much. You should tone it down a little, especially in the present climate. You could be guillotined or sent to Azkaban for that sort of talk." Mum had been trying to teach me about the French Revolution over the summer. Apparently it had sunk in too much.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I had a feeling he didn't actually know what a guillotine was. "I'm fine. It's the rest of the them who are crazy."

"it's just that it's really dangerous to talk about that." I knew I couldn't tell him outright that he had to stop, but I had to get him to at least consider the possibilities. We didn't live under He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The Dark Lord was gone. This was the time of the Boy-Who-Lived.

He scoffed again. "Dangerous? Come on, mate."

I didn't know how to respond.

He froze mid-laugh. "Wait, you don't actually think there's anything wrong with this, do you?"

Honestly? I had no idea. "No, but it's not something you go shouting about."

"I'm not ashamed of it. I'm not going to go hiding who I am just 'cause some fucking blood traitors make you feel guilty." I sighed. I knew this had been a bad idea. Now, he was just mad at me as well.

"I'm not saying you should too much, but it's pretty clear how you feel, and it can get you into serious trouble, not just in school. We're going to leave pretty soon, and-"

"And what?" he interrupted. "You think I can't handle myself? That the Ministry is going to be able to get me?"

"Do you want to live on the run?"

"Well, it would be a hell of a lot better than working for these fucking idiots."

"It sounds lonely."

He was scoffing... again. "Who needs them? I've got you and the others." He gave me a pointed look. "Haven't I?"

I paused uncertainly. Of course he would put me in an awful position.

"Some friend you-"

I cut him off. "Of course I would help you, but if you end up in Azkaban, there's nothing I can do."

He deflated a little at this. "I'm not going to end up in Azkaban. I'm not daft."

I shrugged.

"Look, mate, I have to do this, okay? These Weasleys may have the wizarding world brainwashed right now, but we have to fight back! I can't just sit here and do nothing." Merlin, he liked to exaggerate words.

"Well, just try to be smart about it."

"I won't go telling McGonagall what I plan to do, if that's what you mean."

"Anyone can hear you shouting at the top of your lungs up the stairs. Avery or Blackwell could easily snitch. What about all the prefects?" Myself included.

"If they tell, I'll go after them. Then no one else will."

"You can't kill everyone." I hoped to Merlin he wouldn't try. If he didn't reign himself in soon, he could be the next Dark Lord.

"I'm not going to kill them," he said, as if it were obvious. "Just make sure they know to leave me alone."

"And who's to say that they won't want revenge on you, on your family-"

"My family can go fuck themselves," he interrupted. For someone who hated being interrupted so much, he certainly did a lot of it himself.

"On us?" I finished.

He paused. "There is no way in hell I am letting anyone go after you lot." I wasn't too sure about Lucas, but I took it for the whole group anyway.

"Thanks, mate, but you can't do everything. You're not invincible." He looked like he was about to cut in, but I was tired of the conversation. It held no merit anymore. It was pointless arguing, and I had a Potions essay to write. "And neither am I, so I really need to finish this Potions essay."

He half-laughed. "Yeah, I should probably start it. Vanity's going to give me hell." Especially if he tried to do anything to her.

****That night I had a hard time falling asleep.


End file.
